1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage dispensers and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to an electronic control system for beverage dispensers that provides a modular, portable implementation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beverage dispensers typically include an electronic control system that regulates the dispensing of beverages through the control of one or more dispensing valves and pumps associated therewith. The electronic control system further monitors and regulates a refrigeration unit responsible for cooling the beverage, which typically consists of a beverage syrup and a diluent, such as carbonated or plain water. The electronic control system still further monitors and regulates a carbonation system that produces the carbonated water.
Such a control system for beverage dispensers typically includes a distributed, embedded microcontroller hardware and associated firmware that directs the microcontroller hardware in controlling beverage dispenser operation. Illustratively, the microcontroller hardware monitors beverage dispenser input, which consists of dispensing valve switch activation and the like, and, responsive to such input, the microcontroller hardware produces the necessary control output, which consists of activating a dispensing valve to dispense a desired beverage. In addition, the microcontroller hardware monitors beverage dispenser conditions, which consist of frozen cooling fluid size, carbonated water level, and the like, and, responsive to condition changes, the microcontroller hardware produces the necessary control output, which consists of activating or deactivating a compressor of the refrigeration unit or activating or deactivating a pump of the carbonation system.
Current microcontroller hardware and associated firmware, once implemented, operate adequately in controlling beverage dispensers. Unfortunately, the design process that precedes beverage dispenser implementation is unacceptable because each dispenser is a unique, custom piece of equipment, requiring the microcontroller hardware and associated firmware be designed for the specific component configuration of the beverage dispenser. Thus far, there has been no emphasis on the modularity, portability, and design reuse of microcontroller hardware and associated firmware in beverage dispensers, which leads to long design and implementation periods for new beverage dispensers and the inability to alter existing beverage dispenser designs. Moreover, beverage dispenser designs change rapidly such that it is not cost efficient nor time allocation possible to design microcontroller hardware and firmware for each specific beverage dispenser application.
In today's world, it is necessary to produce and market higher quality beverage dispensers in shorter time periods. Thus, the process of designing and implementing high quality, reliable beverage dispensers must be streamlined. Consequently, there is an industry wide need for a flexible, modular, and design portable microcontroller hardware and associated firmware that supports any type of beverage dispenser components.